Caption: MODEL RELEASED. Amputated toe. Foot of a 40 year old woman with an amputated fifth toe (right). The toe was infected, which necessitated amputation to prevent spreading of the infection. This patient has type 1 diabetes mellitus, a condition resulting from the body's resistance to insulin, which is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Diabetes can lead to neuropathy (nerve damage) and peripheral vascular disease (diseased blood vessels at the ends of limbs), which are both risk factors for the development of ulcers and infections.